Bible in 90 Days

The Creation

1 In the beginning God (^[a]Elohim) ^[b]created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth.^{(A) 2} The earth was ^[c]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. ³ And God said, ^[d]“Let there be light”; and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good (pleasing, useful) and ^[e]He affirmed and sustained it; and God separated the light [distinguishing it] from the darkness.^{(B) 5} And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was ^[f]evening and there was ^[g]morning, one day.

⁶ And God said, “Let there be an ^[h]expanse [of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters [below the expanse] from the waters [above the expanse].” ⁷ And God made the expanse [of sky] and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so [just as He commanded]. ⁸ God called the expanse [of sky] heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

⁹ Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place [of standing, pooling together], and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that this was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it. ¹¹ So God said, “Let the earth sprout [tender] ^[i]vegetation, ^[j]plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit according to (limited to, consistent with) their kind, whose seed is in them upon the earth”; and it was so. ¹² The earth sprouted and abundantly produced vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, according to their kind; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it. ¹³ And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

¹⁴ Then God said, “Let there be light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs (tokens) [of God’s provident care], and for marking seasons, days, and years;^{(C) 15} and let them be useful as lights in the expanse of the heavens to provide light on the earth”; and it was so, [just as He commanded]. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights—the greater light (the sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night; He made the [galaxies of] stars also [that is, all the amazing wonders in the heavens]. ¹⁷ God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to provide light upon the earth, ¹⁸ to rule over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it. ¹⁹ And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

²⁰ Then God said, “Let the waters swarm and abundantly produce living creatures, and let birds soar above the earth ^[k]in the open expanse of the heavens.” ²¹ God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind; and God saw that it was good and He affirmed and sustained it. ²² And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

²⁴ Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to (limited to, consistent with) their kind: livestock, crawling things, and wild animals of the earth according to their kinds”; and it was so [because He had spoken them into creation]. ²⁵ So God made the wild animals of the earth according to their kind, and the cattle according to their kind, and everything that creeps and crawls on the earth according to its kind; and God saw that it was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.”^{(D) 27} So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.^{(E) 28} And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” ²⁹ So God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; ³⁰ and to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that moves on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so [because He commanded it]. ³¹ God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

The Creation of Man and Woman

2 So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants). ² And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.^{(F) 3} So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.^(G)

⁴ This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the ^[l]Lord God made the earth and the heavens— ⁵ no shrub or plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to ^[m]cultivate the ground, ⁶ but a ^[n]mist (fog, dew, vapor) used to rise from the land and water the entire surface of the ground— ⁷ then the Lord God ^[o]formed [that is, created the body of] man from the ^[p]dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].^{(H) 8} And the Lord God ^[q]planted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there. ⁹ And [in that garden] the Lord God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.^(I)

¹⁰ Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [branching] rivers. ¹¹ The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹² The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and the ^[r]onyx stone are found there. ¹³ The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia]. ¹⁴ The third river is named Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

¹⁵ So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden; ¹⁷ but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly ^[s]die [because of your disobedience].”

¹⁸ Now the Lord God said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] ^[t]suitable and complementary for him.” ¹⁹ So the Lord God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper [that was] suitable (a companion) for him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. ²² And the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man He made (fashioned, formed) into a woman, and He brought her and presented her to the man. ²³ Then Adam said,

²⁴ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.^{(J) 25} And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed or embarrassed.

The Fall of Man

3 Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And ^[u]the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from ^[v]any tree of the garden’?”^{(K) 2} And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, ³ except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’” ⁴ But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!^{(L) 5} For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” ⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband ^[w]with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the ^[x]presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” ¹¹ God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree].”^{(M) 14} The Lord God said to the serpent,

¹⁷ Then to Adam the Lord God said, “Because you have listened [attentively] to the voice of your wife, and have eaten [fruit] from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’;

²⁰ The man named his wife Eve (life spring, life giver), because she was the mother of all the living. ²¹ The Lord God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

²² And the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), knowing [how to distinguish between] good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take from the tree of life as well, and eat [its fruit], and live [in this fallen, sinful condition] forever”— ²³ therefore the Lord God sent Adam away from the Garden of Eden, to till and cultivate the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ So God drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He [permanently] stationed the ^[z]cherubim and the sword with the flashing blade which turned round and round [in every direction] to protect and guard the way (entrance, access) to the tree of life.^(O)

Cain and Abel

4 Now the man ^[aa]Adam knew Eve as his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a man (baby boy, son) with the help of the Lord.” ² And [later] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept the flocks [of sheep and goats], but Cain cultivated the ground. ³ And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. ⁴ But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the ^[ab]fat portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;^{(P) 5} but for Cain and his offering He had no respect. So Cain became extremely angry (indignant), and ^[ac]he looked annoyed and hostile. ⁶ And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? And why do you look annoyed? ⁷ If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.” ⁸ Cain talked with Abel his brother [about what God had said]. And when they were [alone, working] in the field, Cain ^[ad]attacked Abel his brother and killed him.^(Q)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he [lied and] said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice].^{(R) 11} And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s [shed] blood from your hand.^{(S) 12} When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength [it will resist producing good crops] for you; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond [roaming aimlessly] on the earth [in perpetual exile without a home, a degraded outcast].” ¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴ Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Your face (presence) I will be hidden, and I will be a fugitive and an [aimless] vagabond on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” ¹⁵ And the Lord said to him, “^[ae]Therefore, whoever kills Cain, a sevenfold vengeance [that is, punishment seven times worse] shall be taken on him [by Me].” And the Lord set a [protective] ^[af]mark (sign) on Cain, so that no one who found (met) him would kill him.^(T)

¹⁶ So Cain went away from the [manifested] presence of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod [wandering in exile], east of Eden.

¹⁷ Cain knew his ^[ag]wife [one of Adam’s descendants] and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it Enoch, after the name of his son. ¹⁸ Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech. ¹⁹ And Lamech took for himself two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. ²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he became the father of those [nomadic herdsmen] who live in tents and have cattle and raise livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal; he became the father of all those [musicians] who play the lyre and flute. ²² Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, the smith (craftsman) and teacher of every artisan in instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives,

²⁵ Adam knew [Eve as] his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for [she said], “God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” ²⁶ To Seth, also, a son was born, whom he named Enosh (mortal man, mankind). At that [same] time men began to call on the name of the Lord [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving].^(U)

Descendants of Adam

5 This is the book (the written record, the history) of the generations of [the descendants of] Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]. ² He created them male and female, and blessed them and named them ^[ai]Mankind at the time they were created.

³ When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he ^[aj]became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. ⁴ After he became the father of Seth, Adam lived eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters. ⁵ So Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years in all, and he died.

⁶ When Seth was a hundred and five years old, he became the father of Enosh. ⁷ Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after the birth of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. ⁸ So Seth lived nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

⁹ When Enosh was ninety years old, he became the father of Kenan. ¹⁰ Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after the birth of Kenan and had other sons and daughters. ¹¹ So Enosh lived nine hundred and five years, and he died.

¹² When Kenan was seventy years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. ¹³ Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after the birth of Mahalalel and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ So Kenan lived nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

¹⁵ When Mahalalel was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Jared. ¹⁶ Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after the birth of Jared and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ So Mahalalel lived eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.

¹⁸ When Jared was a hundred and sixty-two years old, he became the father of Enoch. ¹⁹ Jared lived eight hundred years after the birth of Enoch and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰ So Jared lived nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.

²¹ When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Methuselah. ²² Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah and had other sons and daughters. ²³ So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. ²⁴ And [in reverent fear and obedience] Enoch walked with God; and he was not [found among men], because God took him [away to be home with Him].^(V)

²⁵ When Methuselah was a hundred and eighty-seven years old, he became the father of Lamech. ²⁶ Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after the birth of Lamech and had other sons and daughters. ²⁷ So Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

²⁸ When Lamech was a hundred and eighty-two years old, he became the father of a son. ²⁹ He named him Noah, saying, “This one shall bring us rest and comfort from our work and from the [dreadful] toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord cursed.” ³⁰ Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after the birth of Noah and had other sons and daughters. ³¹ So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.

³² After Noah was five hundred years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The Corruption of Mankind

6 Now it happened, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, ² that the ^[ak]sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and desirable; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose and desired. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive and remain with man forever, because he is indeed flesh [sinful, corrupt—given over to sensual appetites]; nevertheless his days shall yet be ^[al]a hundred and twenty years.” ⁴ There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (great reputation, fame).^(W)

⁵ The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. ⁶ The Lord ^[am]regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will destroy (annihilate) mankind whom I have created from the surface of the earth—not only man, but the animals and the crawling things and the birds of the air—because it [deeply] grieves Me [to see mankind’s sin] and I regret that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor and grace in the eyes of the Lord.

⁹ These are the records of the generations (family history) of Noah. Noah was a righteous man [one who was just and had right standing with God], blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked (lived) [in habitual fellowship] with God. ¹⁰ Now Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹¹ The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. ¹² God looked on the earth and saw how debased and degenerate it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way on the earth and lost their true direction.

¹³ God said to Noah, “I intend to make an end of all that lives, for through men the land is filled with violence; and behold, I am about to ^[an]destroy them together with the land. ¹⁴ Make yourself an ^[ao]ark of ^[ap]gopher wood; make in it rooms (stalls, pens, coops, nests, cages, compartments) and ^[aq]coat it inside and out with pitch (bitumen). ¹⁵ This is the way you are to make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits (450’ x 75’ x 45’). ¹⁶ You shall make a ^[ar]window [for light and ventilation] for the ark, and finish it to at least a cubit (eighteen inches) from the top—and set the [entry] door of the ark in its side; and you shall make it with lower, second and third decks. ¹⁷ For behold, I, even I, will bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy all life under the heavens in which there is the breath and spirit of life; everything that is on the land shall die. ¹⁸ But I will establish My covenant (solemn promise, formal agreement) with you; and you shall come into the ark—you and your [three] sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ And of every living thing [found on land], you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. ²⁰ Of fowls and birds according to their kind, of animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind—two of every kind shall come to you to keep them alive. ²¹ Also take with you every kind of food that is edible, and you shall collect and store it; and it shall be food for you and for them.” ²² So Noah did this; according to all that God commanded him, that is what he did.

The Flood

7 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you with all your household, for you [alone] I have seen as righteous (doing what is right) before Me in this generation.^{(X) 2} Of every ^[as]clean animal you shall take with you seven pair, the male and his female, and of animals that are not clean, two each the male and his female;^{(Y) 3} also of the birds of the air, seven pair, the male and the female, to keep the offspring alive on the surface of the earth. ⁴ For in seven days I am going to cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and I will destroy (blot out, wipe away) every living thing that I have made from the surface of the earth.” ⁵ So Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.^(Z)

⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the flood (deluge) of water came on the earth [covering all of the land]. ⁷ Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark to escape the flood waters.^{(AA) 8} Of ^[at]clean animals and animals that are not clean and birds and fowls and everything that crawls on the ground, ⁹ they came [motivated by God] into the ark with Noah two by two, the male and the female, just as God had commanded Noah. ¹⁰ And after the seven days [God released the rain and] the floodwaters came on the earth. ¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, on that same day all the fountains of the great deep [subterranean waters] burst open, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened. ¹² It rained on the earth for forty days and forty nights.

¹³ On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, ¹⁴ they and every animal according to its kind, all the livestock according to their kinds, every moving thing that crawls on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every winged thing of every sort. ¹⁵ So they went into the ark with Noah, two by two of all living beings in which there was the breath and spirit of life. ¹⁶ Those which entered, male and female of all flesh (creatures), entered as God had commanded Noah; and the Lord closed the door behind him.

¹⁷ The flood [the great downpour of rain] was forty days and nights on the earth; and the waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it floated [high] above the land. ¹⁸ The waters became mighty and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters. ¹⁹ The waters prevailed so greatly and were so mighty and overwhelming on the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. ²⁰ [In fact] the waters became ^[au]fifteen cubits higher [than the highest ground], and the mountains were covered. ²¹ All living beings that moved on the earth perished—birds and cattle (domestic animals), [wild] animals, all things that swarm and crawl on the earth, and all mankind. ²² Everything on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath and spirit of life, died. ²³ God destroyed (blotted out, wiped away) every living thing that was on the surface of the earth; man and animals and the crawling things and the birds of the heavens were destroyed from the land. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.^{(AB) 24} The waters covered [all of] the earth for a hundred and fifty days (five months).

The Flood Abates

8 And God remembered and thought kindly of Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark; and God made a wind blow over the land, and the waters receded. ² Also the fountains of the deep [subterranean waters] and the windows of the heavens were closed, the [pouring] rain from the sky was restrained, ³ and the waters receded steadily from the earth. At the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters had diminished. ⁴ On the seventeenth day of the seventh month [five months after the rain began], the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat [in ^[av]Turkey]. ⁵ The waters continued to decrease until the tenth month; on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains were seen.

⁶ At the end of [another] forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; ⁷ and he sent out a raven, which flew here and there until the waters were dried up from the earth. ⁸ Then Noah sent out a dove to see if the water level had fallen below the surface of the land. ⁹ But the dove found no place on which to rest the sole of her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were [still] on the face of the entire earth. So he reached out his hand and took the dove, and brought her into the ark. ¹⁰ He waited another seven days and again sent the dove out from the ark. ¹¹ The dove came back to him in the evening, and there, in her beak, was a fresh olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water level had subsided from the earth. ¹² Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove, but she did not return to him again.

¹³ Now in the six hundred and first year [of Noah’s life], on the first day of the first month, the waters were drying up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and the surface of the ground was drying. ¹⁴ On the twenty-seventh day of the second month the land was [entirely] dry. ¹⁵ And God spoke to Noah, saying, ¹⁶ “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives with you. ¹⁷ Bring out with you every living thing from all flesh—birds and animals and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth—that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” ¹⁸ So Noah went out, and his wife and his sons and their wives with him [after being in the ark one year and ten days]. ¹⁹ Every animal, every crawling thing, every bird—and whatever moves on the land—went out by families (types, groupings) from the ark.

²⁰ And Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every [ceremonially] clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. ²¹ The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma [a soothing, satisfying scent] and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intent (strong inclination, desire) of man’s heart is wicked from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

Covenant of the Rainbow

9 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. ² The fear and the terror of you shall be [instinctive] in every animal of the land and in every bird of the air; and together with everything that moves on the ground, and with all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hand. ³ Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; I give you everything, as I gave you the green plants and vegetables. ⁴ But you shall not eat meat along with its life, that is, its blood.^{(AC) 5} For your lifeblood I will most certainly require an accounting; from every animal [that kills a person] I will require it. And from man, from every man’s brother [that is, anyone who murders] I will require the life of man.^(AD)

⁸ Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, ⁹ “Now behold, I am establishing My covenant (binding agreement, solemn promise) with you and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that is with you—the birds, the livestock, and the wild animals of the earth along with you, of everything that comes out of the ark—every living creature of the earth. ¹¹ I will establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the water of a flood, nor shall there ever again be a flood to destroy and ruin the earth.” ¹² And God said, “This is the token (visible symbol, memorial) of the [solemn] covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations; ¹³ I set My rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. ¹⁴ It shall come about, when I bring clouds over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the clouds, ¹⁵ and I will [compassionately] remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again will the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶ When the rainbow is in the clouds and I look at it, I will [solemnly] remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷ And God said to Noah, “This [rainbow] is the sign of the covenant (solemn pledge, binding agreement) which I have established between Me and all living things on the earth.”

¹⁸ The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth. Ham would become the father of Canaan. ¹⁹ These are the three sons of Noah, and from these [men] the whole earth was populated and scattered with inhabitants.

²⁰ And Noah began to farm and cultivate the ground and he planted a vineyard. ²¹ He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he was uncovered and lay exposed inside his tent. ²² Ham, the father of Canaan, saw [by accident] the nakedness of his father, and [to his father’s shame] told his two brothers outside. ²³ So Shem and Japheth took a robe and put it on both their shoulders, and walked backwards and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. ²⁴ When Noah awoke from his wine [induced stupor], he knew what his younger son [Ham] had done to him. ²⁵ So he said,

²⁶ He also said,

²⁸ Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood. ²⁹ So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

Descendants of Noah

10 These are the records of the generations (descendants) of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and the sons born to them after the flood:

² the sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras; ³ the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah; ⁴ the sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. ⁵ From these, [the people of] the coastlands of the nations were separated and spread into their lands, every one ^[ba]according to his own language, according to their constituent groups (families), and into their nations:

⁶ the sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim [from whom descended the Egyptians], Put, and Canaan; ⁷ the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah; Sheba and Dedan. ⁸ Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. ⁹ He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” ¹⁰ The beginning of his kingdom was ^[bb]Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar [in Babylonia]. ¹¹ From that land Nimrod went to Assyria, and built Nineveh, and Rehoboth-Ir, and Calah, ¹² and [Nimrod built] Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; all these [combined to form] the great city [Nineveh].^{(AG) 13} Mizraim [the ancestor of the Egyptians] became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim ¹⁴ and Pathrusim and Casluhim—from whom came the Philistines—and Caphtorim.

¹⁵ Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth ¹⁶ and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite ¹⁷ and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite ¹⁸ and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanite were spread abroad. ¹⁹ The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as one goes to Gerar, as far as Gaza; and as one goes to ^[bc]Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. ²⁰ These are the descendants of Ham according to their constituent groups, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.

²¹ Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber [including the Hebrews], the ^[bd]older brother of Japheth, children were born. ²² The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram; ²³ the sons of Aram [ancestor of the Syrians]: Uz, Hul, Gether and ^[be]Mash. ²⁴ Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. ²⁵ Two sons were born to Eber; the name of one was Peleg (division), for [the inhabitants of] the earth were divided in his days; and his brother’s name was Joktan. ²⁶ Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, ²⁷ and Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ²⁸ and ^[bf]Obal, Abimael, Sheba, ²⁹ and Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. ³⁰ Now their territory extended from Mesha as one goes toward Sephar, to the hill country of the east. ³¹ These are Shem’s descendants according to their constituent groups (families), according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations.

³² These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their descendants, by their nations; and from these [people] the nations were separated and spread abroad on the earth after the flood.^(AH)

Universal Language, Babel, Confusion

11 Now the whole earth ^[bg]spoke one language and used the same words (vocabulary). ² And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they settled there.^{(AI) 3} They said one to another, “Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly [in a kiln, to harden and strengthen them].” So they used brick for stone [as building material], and they used tar (bitumen, asphalt) for mortar. ⁴ They said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves, and a tower whose top will reach into the heavens, and let us make a [famous] name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered [into separate groups] and be dispersed over the surface of the entire earth [as the Lord instructed].”^{(AJ) 5} Now the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. ⁶ And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one [unified] people, and they all have the same language. This is only the beginning of what they will do [in rebellion against Me], and now no evil thing they imagine they can do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) go down and there confuse and mix up their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the entire earth; and they stopped building the city. ⁹ Therefore the name of the city was ^[bh]Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the entire earth; and from that place the Lord scattered and dispersed them over the surface of all the earth.

Descendants of Shem

¹⁰ These are the records of the generations of Shem [from whom Abraham descended]. Shem was a hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad, two years after the flood. ¹¹ And Shem lived five hundred years after Arpachshad was born, and he had other sons and daughters.

¹² When Arpachshad had lived thirty-five years, he became the father of Shelah. ¹³ Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after Shelah was born, and he had other sons and daughters.

¹⁴ When Shelah had lived thirty years, he became the father of Eber. ¹⁵ Shelah lived four hundred and three years after Eber was born, and he had other sons and daughters.

¹⁶ When Eber had lived thirty-four years, he became the father of Peleg. ¹⁷ And Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after Peleg was born, and he had other sons and daughters.

¹⁸ When Peleg had lived thirty years, he became the father of Reu. ¹⁹ And Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after Reu was born, and he had other sons and daughters.

²⁰ When Reu had lived thirty-two years, he became the father of Serug. ²¹ And Reu lived two hundred and seven years after Serug was born, and he had other sons and daughters.

²² When Serug had lived thirty years, he became the father of Nahor. ²³ And Serug lived two hundred years after Nahor was born, and he had other sons and daughters.

²⁴ When Nahor had lived twenty-nine years, he became the father of Terah. ²⁵ And Nahor lived a hundred and nineteen years after Terah was born, and he had other sons and daughters.

²⁶ After Terah had lived seventy years, he became the father of ^[bi]Abram and Nahor and Haran [his firstborn].

²⁷ Now these are the records of the descendants of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram (Abraham), Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. ²⁸ Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in ^[bj]Ur of the Chaldeans. ²⁹ Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai (later called Sarah), and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah. ³⁰ But Sarai was barren; she did not have a child.

³¹ Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out together to go from Ur of the Chaldeans into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran [about five hundred and fifty miles northwest of Ur], they settled there. ³² Terah lived two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

Abram Journeys to Egypt

12 Now [in Haran] the Lord had said to Abram,

⁴ So Abram departed [in faithful obedience] as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. ⁵ Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had acquired, and the people (servants) which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, ⁶ Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the [great] terebinth (oak) tree of Moreh. Now the ^[bl]Canaanites were in the land at that time. ⁷ Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar there to [honor] the Lord who had appeared to him. ⁸ Then he moved on from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord [in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving]. ⁹ Then Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev (the South country of Judah).

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to live temporarily, for the famine in the land was oppressive and severe. ¹¹ And when he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Listen: I know that you are ^[bm]a beautiful woman; ¹² so when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me [to acquire you], but they will let you live. ¹³ Please tell them that you are ^[bn]my sister so that things will go well for me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you.” ¹⁴ And when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. ¹⁵ Pharaoh’s princes (officials) also saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken [for the purpose of marriage] into Pharaoh’s house (harem). ¹⁶ Therefore Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

¹⁷ But the Lord punished Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. ¹⁸ Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and go!” ²⁰ So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him on his way, with his wife and all that he had.

Abram and Lot

13 So Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot [his nephew] with him, into the Negev (the South country of Judah).

² Now Abram was extremely rich in livestock and in silver and in gold. ³ He journeyed on from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ where he had first built an altar; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord [in prayer].^{(AM) 5} But Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ Now the land was not able to support them [that is, sustain all their grazing and water needs] while they lived near one another, for their possessions were too great for them to stay together. ⁷ And there was strife and quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were living in the land at that same time [making grazing of the livestock difficult].

⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife and disagreement between you and me, nor between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, because we are relatives. ⁹ Is not the entire land before you? Please separate [yourself] from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or if you choose the right, then I will go to the left.” ¹⁰ So Lot looked and saw that the valley of the Jordan was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; [it was all] like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar [at the south end of the Dead Sea]. ¹¹ Then Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and he traveled east. So they separated from each other. ¹² Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled in the cities of the valley and camped as far as Sodom and lived there. ¹³ But the men of Sodom were extremely wicked and sinful against the Lord [unashamed in their open sin before Him].

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had left him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are standing, northward and southward and eastward and westward; ¹⁵ for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever.^{(AN) 16} I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.^{(AO) 17} Arise, walk (make a thorough reconnaissance) around in the land, through its length and its width, for I will give it to you.” ¹⁸ Then Abram broke camp and moved his tent, and came and settled by the [grove of the great] terebinths (oak trees) of Mamre [the Amorite], which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to [honor] the Lord.

War of the Kings

14 In the days of the [Eastern] kings Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim, ² they [invaded the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, and] made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela ^[bo](that is, Zoar). ³ All of these [kings] joined together [as allies] in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Sea of Salt). ⁴ Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer [the most powerful king in the invading confederacy], but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. ⁵ In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the [three] kings who were with him attacked and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, ⁶ and the Horites in their mountainous country of Seir, as far as El-paran, which is on the border of the wilderness. ⁷ Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. ⁸ Then the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they joined together for battle with the invading kings in the Valley of Siddim, ⁹ against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar (bitumen) pits; and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them. But the remainder [of the kings] who survived fled to the hill country. ¹¹ Then the victors took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply and provisions and left. ¹² And they also took [captive] Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and left, for he was living in Sodom.

¹³ Then a survivor who had escaped [from the invading forces on the other side of the Jordan] came and told Abram the ^[bp]Hebrew. Now he was living by the terebinths (oaks) of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner—they were allies of Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his nephew [Lot] had been captured, he armed and led out his trained men, born in his own house, [numbering] three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far [north] as Dan. ¹⁵ He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. ¹⁶ And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

Abram and Melchizedek

¹⁷ Then after Abram’s return from the defeat (slaughter) of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). ^18 [bq]Melchizedek king of Salem (ancient Jerusalem) brought out bread and wine [for them]; he was the priest of ^[br]God Most High. ¹⁹ And Melchizedek blessed Abram and said,

And Abram gave him a tenth of all [the treasure he had taken in battle].^{(AP) 21} The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods (spoils of battle) for yourself.” ²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand and sworn an oath to the Lord God Most High, the Creator and Possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ that I would not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a sandal strap, so you could not say, ‘I [the King of Sodom] have made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will take nothing except what my young men have eaten, and the share of the spoils belonging to the men [my allies] who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share of the spoils.”

Abram Promised a Son

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,

² Abram said, “Lord ^[bs]God, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?” ³ And Abram continued, “Since You have given no child to me, one (a servant) born in my house is my heir.” ⁴ Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man [Eliezer] will not be your heir but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir.” ⁵ And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So [numerous] shall your descendants be.”^{(AQ) 6} Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord; and He counted (credited) it to him ^[bt]as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man).^{(AR) 7} And He said to him, “I am the [same] Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land as an inheritance.” ⁸ But Abram said, “Lord ^[bu]God, by what [proof] will I know that I will inherit it?” ⁹ So God said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ So Abram brought all these to Him and ^[bv]cut them down the middle, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. ¹¹ The birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

¹² When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram; and a horror (terror, shuddering fear, nightmare) of great darkness overcame him. ¹³ God said to Abram, “Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.^{(AS) 14} But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions.^{(AT) 15} As for you, you shall [die and] go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ Then in the ^[bw]fourth generation your descendants shall return here [to Canaan, the land of promise], for the wickedness and guilt of the ^[bx]Amorites is not yet complete (finished).”^(AU)

¹⁷ When the sun had gone down and a [deep] darkness had come, there appeared a smoking ^[by]brazier and a flaming torch which passed between the [divided] pieces [of the animals].^{(AV) 18} On the same day the Lord made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying,

¹⁹ [the land of] the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites ²⁰ and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim, ²¹ the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Sarai and Hagar

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not borne him any children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. ² So Sarai said to Abram, “See here, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. I am asking you to go in to [the bed of] my maid [so that she may bear you a child]; perhaps I will ^[bz]obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to Sarai and did as she said. ³ After Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian [maid], and gave her to her husband Abram to be his [secondary] wife. ⁴ He went in to [the bed of] Hagar, and she conceived; and when she realized that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress [regarding Sarai as insignificant because of her infertility]. ⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “May [the responsibility for] the wrong done to me [by the arrogant behavior of Hagar] be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, and when she realized that she had conceived, I was despised and looked on with disrespect. May the Lord judge [who has done right] between you and me.” ⁶ But Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your maid is entirely in your hands and subject to your authority; do as you please with her.” So Sarai treated her harshly and humiliated her, and Hagar fled from her.

⁷ But ^[ca]the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, on the road to [Egypt by way of] Shur. ⁸ And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where did you come from and where are you going?” And she said, “I am running away from my mistress Sarai.” ⁹ The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress, and submit ^[cb]humbly to her authority.” ¹⁰ Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.” ¹¹ The Angel of the Lord continued,

¹³ Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are ^[cc]God Who Sees”; for she said, “Have I not even here [in the wilderness] remained alive after ^[cd]seeing Him [who sees me with understanding and compassion]?” ¹⁴ Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi (Well of the Living One Who Sees Me); it is ^[ce]between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵ So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son; and Abram named his son, to whom Hagar gave birth, ^[cf]Ishmael (God hears). ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.